Test out the new 3-bike racks on select Capital Metro buses

Capital Metro is testing the feasibility and safety of bus bike racks that hold 3 bikes each. Starting today, ten brand new 35’ buses will be traveling on Routes 338 (Westgate) and 325 (Rundberg) equipped with 3-bike racks. They are the first of 3 route-pairs that will test the 3-bike racks over the next 6 weeks, from September 10 through October 21. Capital Metro currently uses 2-bike racks on all its 35’ and 40’ buses and is evaluating the use of the 3-bike racks for future new buses, and perhaps retrofitting part of the system.

Capital Metro Board Member and Austin City Councilman Chris Riley advocated for the pilot to explore options for accommodating more cyclists on board transit. We’ll keep you posted how the test goes.

The 3-bike racks will be used on 2 routes for 2 weeks each to get an idea of their impact for bike transport on the buses. These routes are considered to have the most potential benefit from these racks, and focusing on only 2 routes at a time will allow most if not all buses on that route to be consistently equipped with the 3 bike racks. After the 6 weeks period, the 3-bike racks will stay in the system on less specified routes.

We will be surveying the drivers and asking for comments from cyclist/users as well to gain input through this period. Check out the new racks and give us a holler at feedback@capmetro.org.

The three bike racks will be deployed on the following routes during these dates:

4 thoughts on “Test out the new 3-bike racks on select Capital Metro buses”

hi, Jason. We’ve evaluated the 3-bike racks, and generally speaking, did not find any major operational or safety issues with their use. The next step is to develop a plan to retrofit our buses with the 3-bike racks over time. It may take a while because at this time the new racks and the labor to install them, etc., is not in our budget. We are developing our budget now for FY2014, which begins October 1, so this issue could get addressed over the coming year.